


Driving Opposites

by twilightHDfan



Category: Fast and the Furious Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Corny Lines, M/M, Verone Being A Little Too Touchy/Feely with Brian, mutant AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-09 02:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/768667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightHDfan/pseuds/twilightHDfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In order to solve a string of high profile robberies, and new drugs hitting the street, Brian's sent in as a new mechanic for Team Toretto. It's not only his driving ability, but his mutant powers that make him the best man for the job. Sparks fly when Brian and Dom meet, and Brian quickly realises he may be in too deep. But there's more to Dom's agreement to help the case then Brian and the FBI realise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Driving Opposites

**Author's Note:**

> Huge, huge thank you to arna12 for the beta and to gryphon2k for (pinch hitting!) awesome, awesome art! Absolutely loved the cover and the fanmix! I really can't say how much I love it and thank you enough times!

 

“O’Connor, I’m glad you could make it.”

Walking into the room, Brian shook Tanner’s hand. Tanner hadn’t changed much over the years Brian had known him. He was still one of the most honourable, straight talking men Brian had ever met. Was still the kind of man who would help a young punk who was heading down the wrong path, would lead him away from trouble.

Even after working with him over the years Brian still saw the Tanner who had found him and taken him under his wing, convincing Brian to join the Force, helping Brian on some of his cases, always there when Brian needed someone to run an idea pass. So when Tanner had called him and said he had a case that Brian could help out on, Brian had jumped at the chance to help his mentor.

The other man in the room just sat glaring at him and Brian didn’t need to look at the badge to know the man was FBI. He had that general air to him, that air of superiority the feds always had around the police force.

“This is Agent Bilkins,” Tanner said, when it became obvious the other man wasn’t going to introduce himself.

“Sir,” Brian replied, the small smile falling off his face when he saw the hate and anger in the other man’s eyes.

“Have a seat, O’Connor,” Tanner said, indicating one of the seats.

Taking a seat, Brian tried not to look over at the Fed, a heavy pit settling in his stomach, as he started to think that the reason he was called in may have been for something more than his arrest record.

“You’ve no doubt been hearing about the string of high profile robberies over the past six months,” Tanner started, pushing a file towards Brian. “These guys haven’t only been hitting banks, but homes of the rich and wealthy, somehow managing to pull off jobs that should be impossible given the security systems these places have.”

Reaching out, Brian pulled the file towards him, opening to look at the documents within. He had heard about a few of the robberies, the most high profile being Louise Shaw, who’s incredibly large diamond collection that her husband had brought for her over the years, had been discovered missing without a sign of entry. It was estimated to be worth more than what Brian would earn in his entire life. Ten times over.

“What the public doesn’t know,” Tanner continued. “Is that a few of the items stolen have resurfaced. In South America. While some of South America’s best drugs have been making its way back over the border.”

“So these guys are hitting places in a way that’s almost impossible and somehow getting the merchandise across the border also in a way that should be impossible,” Brian summed up, flipping through the pages. “And when they come back they’re bringing back some of South America’s finest pharmaceuticals.”

“Exactly,” Tanner replied. “We think these guys might be … special.”

“Special?” Brian asked, playing along even though he knew exactly what Tanner meant, trying to ignore the way his mouth had suddenly gone dry.

“Mutants,” Bilkins gritted out, clearly only just stopping himself from adding more to the word. Brian had a feeling he knew what the man had been going to add, having been called a mutant freak many times over when he was younger.

“That’s what we’re thinking,” Tanner cut in, sending Bilkins a warning glare. “We think they’re using their ability to get the money and jewels, but we think that they might just be using good ol’ fashion hidden tunnels to get the stuff over the border.”

“What does this have to do with me exactly?” Brian asked as he put the file back on the desk, even though he already had a pretty good idea.

“We need someone like them to send in undercover, someone that they will trust,” Bilkins said, tapping his fingers on the table, clearly wanting the meeting to be over. “Someone like you.”

Brian held the other man’s gaze for a long moment, fighting the part of him that wanted to show Bilkins exactly what he could do, before he reminded himself that he didn’t use his power like that anymore. That people using their powers to scare others was one of the reasons they were in this mess to start with. Of course some people were just bigoted idiots to begin with, but people using their powers against others wasn’t helping matters.

“We need your help, Brian,” Tanner murmured quietly, clearly seeing how close to the edge Brian was. “We’ve sent other guys under, but none of them can get close, some of them haven’t made it back. We think the fact that you have a mutation may at least help you get your foot in the door. Your other unique skill set should help too.”

“My other set?” Brian asked confused, not able to think of anything that would really set him apart from the other officers.

“Your driving ability,” Bilkins replied. “Not only will it help you get in, but it’ll make your undercover identity believable.”

“Undercover identity?” Brian asked, looking at Tanner.

“You’ll be joining one of the underground racing teams,” Tanner replied, pushing another file toward him. “In fact, you’ll be joining what most of the underground consider _the_ racing team.”

Flipping through the papers, Brian saw a familiar name.

Toretto.

He’d heard the man’s name on the beat and in the locker room. Apparently the man was considered a racing god on the street and a target in the locker room because of it.

“Dominic Toretto has … kindly agreed to help us on this case,” Tanner continued, ignoring the snort that came from next him. “He’s agreed to make you part of his team for the duration of the investigation.”

Brian raised an eyebrow in disbelief, wondering what exactly it was that the LAPD or the feds had on Toretto that had made him agree to become part of the case.

“I know this isn’t something that should be entered into lightly. Take some time, read through the information and get back to me.”

“It would be in your best interests to take the job, O’Connor,” Bilkins added, leaning forward slightly. Brian would be more intimidated if he didn’t know his own power. Given he did, he simply raised an eyebrow at the Fed, before turning back to Tanner.

“I’ll get back to you tonight,” he said, closing the file and pushing his chair back.

“Be sure you do,” Bilkins replied, Brian holding back his grin when he saw Tanner roll his eyes.

“I’ll talk to you later, Bri,” Tanner said, nodding at Brian as he left the room.

Making his way quickly out of the precinct, Brian made his way to his car, slipping into it and quickly made his way to his favourite place, a little car spot that had a view of most of Los Angeles. He would come here whenever he needed to think, and today seemed to be another one of those days.

Opening the file, he took in the profiles of the team he would be a part of. Team Toretto, Brian dubbed it. There was Jesse, the boy genius, who could take any car apart and put it back together. The boy could control technology and was brilliant, why he wasn’t in MIT or some other prestigious college Brian couldn’t even begin to guess.

Then there was Leon, who seemed to be able turn himself into steel. There was Vince, whose power seemed to be teleportation.

There wasn’t a power listed for Mia Toretto, although Brian had a feeling that was only because she hadn’t been foolish enough to show it to someone who would tell it to the cops.

And then there was Dominic Toretto. Whose power seemed to be as cool as he appeared, the man able to produce ice. The notes had been quick to point out that the man wasn’t as cool, calm and collected as he appeared, what with what had happened to the man that he’d lost his temper with and had been the reason he’d been sent to Lompoc.

Altogether an impressive array of mutants, who if they wanted to could cause all kinds of trouble for the government and probably what the Feds had used to get their agreement in the first place. Brian couldn’t help but feel angry on their behalf, sure that their mutant abilities was exactly what had been used to get him into their team.

Even so, he couldn’t really pass up the opportunity. Not if he wanted to get that Detective shield, plus he didn’t want to let Tanner down. Not after all the things the man had done for him over the years. Taking a deep breath, Brian pulled out his phone.

“Tanner.”

“I’ll do it,” Brian said quietly. He heard Tanner take a quick breath in.

“Brian … are you sure?” Brian could hear the worry in the older man’s voice, and felt warmth spread across his chest at the obvious care the man had for him.

“I’m the best man for the job,” he replied.

“But not the only one,” Tanner answered.

“I thought you wanted me for this?” Brian asked, frowning.

“I do,” Tanner replied quietly. “I’m just worried about Bilkins and the Feds. Make sure you watch yourself, Brian. Don’t let them get anything they can use against you.”

“I won’t,” Brian said, glad that Tanner had clearly picked up on Bilkins irrational hatred too. “I’ll get this done.”

“I know you will, son,” Tanner answered, and Brian could hear his smile through the phone. “I’ll drop your new identity off in the morning. Sleep well, Bri.”

“You too,” Brian replied, before hanging up the phone.

There was something about this case that felt right, like it was the thing Brian had been waiting for. He wasn’t going to stuff this up.

**

Brian Earl Spilner.

Brian looked at himself in the mirror and said the name over and over, reminding himself that he was a new man, albeit, one who was very similar to his old self. The man he could’ve become if Tanner hadn’t taken him under his wing.

Actually, Brian probably would’ve been worse. Probably would’ve joined the Brotherhood and gone around creating panic and fear. Using his powers to take out on innocent people the anger and hurt he felt at being judged for something he had no control over being.

But that wasn’t him. Would never be him now. He was here to do a job, and he’d do it to the best of his ability. Nodding at himself once, he got out of the car, a gorgeous green Eclipse the feds had given him, and walked over to the shop.

Tanner had told him that Toretto would meet him at the shop that he and his sister owned in order to fill him in on his team and how they would go about integrating Brian onto it. Brian wasn’t sure what to expect exactly, and couldn’t help the nervous feeling that ran through him. He was sure that Toretto was smart enough not to try anything, but then again, there were people out there who wouldn’t care what the consequences were if they could take out a cop.

Picking up a magazine, he sat down, trying to stop his leg from bouncing up and down, waiting for the girl who was behind the counter to turn around. When she did, Brian couldn’t help but stare a little. Mia Toretto was gorgeous; tall, with dark hair and golden skin. Her small smile had him smiling back at her, even though she wasn’t his type.

“What can I get you?” she asked, making her way over to him. Brian looked away from her to glance up at the menu on the board, eyes running down the list. He wasn’t sure whether he should introduce himself yet, and he was hungry, so he decided to order something first.

It might also stop something unpleasant from finding its way into his food as well.

“Tuna sandwich,” Brian replied, sending her another grin, before looking down at his magazine. He couldn’t help the nervous swallow that followed.

“The tuna?” Mia asked, Brian hearing the smile in her voice, part of him wondering if she would be so nice when she found out who he was. “Not a lot of people ask for that. The beef sandwich is a favourite.”

“Tuna sandwich,” he said again, looking up at her and winking. “No crust.”

Mia gave a small laugh, before turning away and starting his order. He watched her for a moment, before letting his eyes wander around the place, stopping when his eyes found broad shoulders. He couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat, as he took in the strong shoulders, clearly toned, and the bald head.

It must have been Brian’s lucky day, because the man decided to stand, giving Brian a perfect view of the rest of his body as the man made his way over to the fridge. Brian continued to stare, unable to look away when the other man turned.

Their eyes met for a long moment, Brian feeling his heart start to race, before the brown eyes moved away.

Dominic Toretto.

Brian had thought the man was attractive from his photos, but seeing him in person … he was captivating, a person who would draw people to him simply from his presence. Brian’s thoughts were derailed when Mia put the sandwich down in front of him.

“Tuna sandwich, no crust,” Mia said, grinning down at the sandwich, looking amused at the order she’d just filled. “I’m Mia by the way.”

“Brian Spilner.” And just like that, the friendly, kind, smiling look disappeared, wariness and distrust crossing the features.

“Oh,” she replied, glancing briefly over her shoulder to where her brother sat. “I’ll just get Dom.”

Brian couldn’t help the way he felt a little hurt and disappointed. He’d known the team weren’t going to welcome him with open arms, not with the way Brian was sure the Feds had gotten Toretto to agree to let him onto the team in the first place. But he’d still kind of hoped that they would maybe give him a chance to show what kind of person he actually was.

“So you’re him?”

The gravelly tone pulled Brian out of his thoughts, intense brown eyes meeting his, before they ran over him quickly.

“Brian,” Brian replied, holding his hand out. Toretto looked at it for a long moment, Brian sure that the man was going to ignore it, before he slowly reached out and took it. Brian couldn’t help the shiver that ran through him at the slightly too cool touch, unable to stop the fire within him from coming to the surface and warming him.

Toretto’s eyes had snapped to his in that moment, Brian not missing the shock that had passed over the man’s face, before the mask fell back into place. It was then that Brian had to wonder what Toretto and his team had been told about him. He knew Tanner wouldn’t have told them his real name, but he assumed that, given Team Toretto were all mutants, he would’ve at least told them he was a mutant.

“Dom,” Toretto said, shaking his hand, holding on for a second longer than was considered polite. The gesture hadn’t been threatening, more like Toretto –Dom, trying to figure out just who Brian was.

Brian refused to acknowledge the warmth, which had nothing to do with his fire, that ran through him at the prolonged touch.

“That yours?”

Looking over his shoulder, Brian could see his car gleaming in the sunlight. The Feds had thought it would make his cover more believable if he already had a car that would help him fit into the racing scene, in a surprising move they had given Brian free pick of their garage. Brian had felt like a kid in a candy store, and the green Eclipse had the best that the Federal Bureau had impounded.

“Yeah,” Brian replied, giving the man a small smile.

“Not too bad,” Dom answered, walking out into the sunlight, Brian distracted by the tanned skin for a moment, before forcing himself to look back at the car. “You do the mods yourself?”

“Most of them,” Brian replied, stopping next to him.

“Waverly Place, 10pm tonight.” And with that Dom turned and started to stride back into the shop. Brian knew that he should just nod and walk back to his car, knew that he shouldn’t poke the sleeping lion, so to speak. But Brian wasn’t who he was, hadn’t gotten to wear he was, by not pushing people’s buttons.

“So no sandwich to go?” he called, turning around, letting the cocky grin he’d perfected over the years come to his face. Toretto simply turned and gave him a long look, not falling for the cocky bravado, not rising for the bait that Brian was hanging out there.

“10pm, Buster,” Dom replied, before making the rest of the way inside, pulling Mia in for a kiss to the head, before making his way back to the room he’d been using before Brian had pulled up.

Making his way back to the car, Brian tried to ignore the bit of jealousy that ran through him.

**

“For a cop would’ve expected a bit more caution.”

Brian looked up as he got out of the car, shutting the door as he took in the way Dom leaned against his own, a red Mazda RX.

“You going to jump me?” Brian asked, trying not to blush as his mind added that there was a kind of jumping he wouldn’t mind from the man. He reminded himself that the man was a criminal, and someone he had to work with for the foreseeable future, and those thoughts were only going to lead to trouble.

Dom’s eyebrow went up at his comment, lips quirking up, before his eyes did a once over of Brian. The blush he’d barely been keeping at bay rose to the surface, Brian telling himself that the look didn’t mean what he thought it did. Especially now that Dom was looking at him like he was possibly a threat he wanted to get rid of.

“Just expected something else, was all,” Dom replied.

“So how much do you guys know about Verone?” he continued before Brian could respond to his previous comment, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes steady as they stared at Brian. Brian couldn’t help but stare back, something in him refusing to give in, to look away first.

“We know he came over from Miami eleven months ago, and that since then these robberies have started and heroin on the streets has sky rocketed,” Brian replied, ignoring the way his eyes were burning, as he continued to stare at the man.

“Well, you seem to know more than the last guy,” Dom muttered, running a hand over his head, finally breaking their eye contact, Brian blinking the pain away.

“They brought someone else in with you?” Brian asked, frowning.

“Not with us,” Dom answered, looking back up at him. “Another group. The Tran’s. Rumour on the street was that they sold him down the river for favour.”

Brian couldn’t help the way his stomach dropped at Dom’s words, something like fear clawing at his chest, rising up and making it hard for him to swallow. But he forced the fear away, bringing his fire to the surface, as he looked around at the surrounding warehouses.

He’d been in fights that had poor odds before and come out the other side. He knew how to fight and how to fight dirty, and he’d do whatever he had to to get out of this alive.

“Is that what this is?” Brian asked quietly. “You selling me out, Dominic?”

Dom held his eyes for a long moment, Brian feeling the flames start to lick up his hands and arms, before his mouth twitched again.

“Calm down, flame boy,” he snorted, pushing off the car. “I don’t have a death wish. And the cops will make something stick to me if you suddenly disappear. Not to mention I don’t want anything to do with Carter Verone.”

“What are they using against you exactly?” Brian asked, unable to keep the question at bay. It was something he had wondered about, as he’d been going over the case.

Brian saw something like anger and pain wash over the man’s face, before he looked away, hand running over his head again.

“When you’re a mutant who’s already been in the pen, it’s not too hard for them to _encourage_ you to help them,” Dom murmured quietly, Brian looking away from his slumped shoulders. He’d read about Dom’s father, the accident at the track, and the following beating that had put a young Dominic Toretto behind bars.

“Verone likes to have the best and most beautiful,” Dom continued, turning around, the moment gone as Dom once again stood in front of him with intense focus. “House, cars, clothes. You name it.”

“Okay,” Brian replied, trying to follow the man’s train of thought.

“That includes racers … and people.”

“So the man’s heard about you, will want you on the team if there is one,” Brian added, finally seeing where the man was going. “So that’s your in, but it won’t really get me close enough to be able to do what I need to.”

“As soon as he sees the both of us, he’ll want us in his circle,” Dom replied, moving over to his car.

“You haven’t even seen me race yet,” Brian said to the man’s back. “I might not even be close to the best.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Dom shot back over his shoulder.

Brian couldn’t be sure, but he thought Dom might have muttered something about Brian fitting into the other category as he walked away.

**

Brian couldn’t help but grin as he took the corner, feeling the car moving smoothly below him, the pavement and the buildings blurring by. He loved driving, loved just putting his foot down and going. It helped to clear his head, to push all those worries to the back of his mind, letting him just focus on one of the things he loved.

He’d missed this. When he’d become a cop he’d known that he couldn’t do the crap he’d done when he was a kid, and that had included just letting himself go. Both on the track and with his fire.

He’d missed it.

Dom’s Red Mazda was next to him, maybe slightly ahead, and Brian couldn’t help but smile, feeling how big and wide it was by the way his cheeks almost hurt. They were almost at the place they’d designated the end of the race, and with a quick glance over at the other man, Brian put his finger down on the NOS, feeling the car jerk even faster.

He was going to do it, he was going to win and show Dom that he’d been wrong about him. Show him that he was more than just a cop.

That was when the red car slipped past him, just beating him to the finish line.

Brian couldn’t feel too disappointed though. He’d almost had Toretto, had almost had the man that was supposedly unbeatable. If he’d just waited a few more seconds on the NOS he would’ve had the man. He pulled up next to Dom’s car, before getting out, patting the roof of his car before making his way around it.

“What are you grinning about?”

Brian looked up at the gruff tone, unable to stop his smile from, impossibly, widening.

“Dude, I almost had you!”

“Ask any racer,” Dom replied as he stalked closer, Brian worried for a moment, before he saw the glint in the man’s eye, the twitch up of his mouth. “Any real racer. It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.”

Brian still couldn’t stop smiling, shaking his head as the man came to stop in front of him. It didn’t matter what Dom said, he had almost had the man, would’ve if he hadn’t gone that second too soon. Next time he’d time it perfectly, and then he could be the one spouting about winning.

Before he could say more though, the sound of high performance engines reached his ears, Brian looking away from the man in front of him, to the far end of the road, seeing lights coming closer.

“This is not what I needed tonight,” he heard Dom mutter, before the bikes pulled up around them in a circle.

“Toretto,” one of the bikies said, pulling his helmet off. Brian wished he was more surprised when he saw the face of Johnny Tran emerge from under the helmet, his cousin Lance appearing just after him.

“Tran,” Dom replied, sounding bored, although Brian was sure he could hear the edge to it.

“Out all alone, Toretto?” Johnny replied, eyes taking Brian in, before returning to the other man. “Tut tut, not very smart.”

“I can look after myself, Tran,” Dom answered, Brian not flinching when he felt an icy feeling wash over him, simply letting his fire combat it.

“You really want to start something?” Johnny asked.

“Do you?” Dom replied.

Brian could see that the man had already decided that he wanted a fight, had probably decided even before he had stopped in front of them, and so he wasn’t surprised when he made a move. What he was surprised about, was that the man threw a metal beam at Dom without touching it.

His thoughts were soon turned to Lance however, when the man sped up to him, punching him twice in the stomach and then across the face. Unfortunately for Lance, Brian had fought someone with enhanced speed before, and closing his eyes, he struck out at where he had a feeling Lance would be next, grinning when the man let out a ‘oof’ staggering into the car.

Not giving the man another chance to use his speed, Brian quickly went about trying to incapacitate him, striking in areas that he had learnt brought people down fast back before his police training. Lance was able to recover however, and Brian new that he wasn’t about to win this without using his abilities.

He got hit in the face again, head going one way and then back the other when Lance sped to hit him on the other side. He wasn’t expecting the cut, pain erupting down the left side of his face, Brian feeling the blood oozing down his face and neck. It might not be deep, but head wounds bled like a bitch and Brian knew that he needed to end the fight so that he could stop the bleeding.

Waiting for the perfect moment, he let the fire creep up, felt it racing along his arms, before he let out a short burst, grim satisfaction running through him when Lance was knocked off his feet, the other man clamouring to pull his jacket off when it continued to burn.

Before he could get another shot in, both Lance and Johnny were on their bikes, glaring at them before their helmets were on and they were speeding off. He hadn’t seen much of Dom’s fight, too busy trying to make sure he didn’t lose his own, but Dom looked completely unharmed, Brian wondering if Johnny had even gotten a shot in.

“Still standing, Spilner?”

“It’s just a nick,” Brian replied, pulling his shirt off to use as a makeshift bandage.

“They teach you how to fight like that in cop training?”

“I wasn’t always a cop,” Brian replied, holding his shirt to his head, hoping the pressure would stop the bleeding soon.

“Wasn’t always on the right side of the law either,” he muttered, low enough that he was sure that the other man wouldn’t hear him.

“Let me have a look.”

Brian couldn’t help but start when large, but gentle hands turned his face. He had to fight down the instinct to lash out, reminding himself that the need to protect himself was over, that Dom didn’t want to hurt him.

Well, that he wouldn’t act on the impulse if he did.

“Looks like more than a nick, Bri,” Dom said quietly, Brian swallowing hard at the soft look that was on the other man’s face, unable to stop himself from wanting to lean more into the warm body in front of him.

“It’ll be fine,” he replied, voice coming out more breathy than he would’ve liked, but unable to stop it. Dom seemed to pick up on it though, his eyes snapping to Brian’s, as his fingers ran through Brian’s hair gently.

Brian couldn’t help the way his heart sped up, chest feeling tight as they stood there, Dom staring at him, searching for something, as his fingers continued to comb through Brian’s hair. He knew that he shouldn’t, knew that this would make the whole investigation harder and could get him a punch in the face, but he felt himself leaning in. He could feel Dom’s breaths against his lips, and felt goose bumps erupt over his skin.

He was in trouble.

The loud sound of a car back firing had them jerking apart, Brian glad for the interruption that had stopped him from doing something stupid, although Dom hadn’t looked like he was about to punch Brian in the face for what he’d been about to do.

“Get in the car.”

“What?” Brian asked, as Dom strode over to his car, pulling his phone out as he did.

“Get in, Brian,” Dom answered, before switching into what Brian thought was Spanish, talking for a few minutes to whoever was on the other end, before hanging up.

“I can drive,” Brian replied, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at the bigger man.

“Not with that cut, you need to get it looked at, Bri.”

It was the quietly spoken nickname that had the words he’d been about to say freezing in his throat, and he could feel himself already giving in.

“My car …”

“Someone will pick it up in the hour and bring it back to the house,” Dom replied, waving his phone at Brian a little. That explained why Dom had made the phone call then.

“Get in, Bri.”

Rolling his eyes at himself, Brian walked over to the passenger side of the RX, slowly sliding into the seat, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that ran through him at the sudden change of movement. Dom had slid into the car next to him, and judging by the slightly smug look on his face, the other man hadn’t missed the moment of dizziness.

“I’m not going to a hospital,” Brian mumbled, knowing how well that would go down when it got back to Tanner.

“Didn’t say anything about going to a hospital,” Dom replied.

**

Brian really hated head injuries and wounds. They always bled like anything and he hated feeling dizzy, hated feeling like he wasn’t in control of himself. The dizziness had disappeared now though, the fight and flight response, the adrenaline, pushing it to the background so that Brian could focus on the threat in front of him.

Dom had taken him back to what Brian assumed was his place, giving Brian a small grin before walking in the door, telling him to wait in the living room while he went and got Mia. Mia had come downstairs looking confused, the look morphing into worry when she had seen Brian, who probably looked worse than he actually was now that he had put the bloody t-shirt back on.

Mia had sat on the couch next to him, looking at the wound, soft hands gripping onto Brian’s face and shoulder. And Brian hadn’t been able to resist the little flirty comment, had grinned when he’d seen fond amusement on Mia’s face.

Which had been right when the rest of the team had walked in and led to Brian’s current predicament.

“Vince,” Brian heard Dom growl. He didn’t look away from the man in front of him though, holding the angry gaze, and wondering just how far the man would take it. He wasn’t worried, he had his training plus the years before Tanner to back him up. And looking at Vince, he seemed like a dog that was more bark than bite.

“You hear me, _cop_?” Vince continued, pushing Brian with one hand. Brian didn’t let it move him an inch, using all his strength to stop the force from making him take a step back.

“Vince, stop damn it,” Mia said, Brian hearing the exasperation in her tone. This clearly wasn’t the first time that Vince had threatened someone he thought was ‘moving in’ on Mia. Unfortunately for the other man, Brian wasn’t some guy who’d go running with his tail between his legs. He had no interest in Mia that way, but that didn’t mean he was going to let Vince push him around.

“You don’t want to do this,” he finally said, voice low, quiet. It was the voice that made most of the guys in his precinct take a step away. Brian didn’t often fight back, would rather turn the insult or challenge into a joke, but when he did, he used that tone. Rogers, one of the only guys who actually made an effort with him, had told him that it was like a sign flashing danger.

Vince clearly couldn’t read the signs, the other man pushing him again, teleporting behind him and pushing him from behind.

Closing his eyes, Brian let himself calm down, the fire springing to the surface. He wouldn’t need much, he didn’t plan to actually _hurt_ Vince, he just needed enough to knock the man off his feet.

In the end it was all too easy, Vince popping back in front of him, Brian feeling him reaching out to push him again. And that’s when Brian let the small burst go, opening his eyes as he heard a ‘oomph’, seeing Vince staring up at him from across the floor near the door.

Everyone in the room had frozen, all looking between him and Vince, before Vince popped up off the floor and dived for him. Brian managed to get a few hits in before they were pulled apart, Leon dragging Vince off, while Dom stood in front of him.

“He started it,” he muttered, trying to ignore the way his head felt like it was splitting in two. Another fight was not what he had needed tonight.

“Mia,” Dom said, looking over to his sister, before looking back at the man who Brian had read had been his best friend since the third grade.

“Come on, Brian,” Mia murmured quietly, grabbing his arm and pulling him back towards the kitchen and first aid kit, pushing him into the chair again.

He could hear Dom talking quietly in the other room, seeing out of the corner of his eye the way Vince was looking at the ground, looking for all the world like a kid being scolded by his parent, and from what Brian could hear, it wasn’t too far from the truth.

“You know, my brother likes you,” Mia started, as she continued to clean the wound. “Usually he doesn’t like anybody.”

“Yeah, he’s a complicated guy,” Brian replied, letting the woman turn his head as she worked, not missing the snort that left her at his comment.

“You have no idea,” she muttered, sticking something onto his head, before taking a step back. “Well, I think that’s as good as it’s going to get.”

“Thanks, Mia,” Brian said, looking up at her and giving her his most charming smile, watching as she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“He gonna live, bella?”

Moving his head a little too quickly, Brian couldn’t help but wince as pain lanced through his head, the headache from moments before making itself known again. Dom was looking at them with something like suspicion in his dark eyes, as he walked into the room, wrapping an arm around Mia and kissing her temple.

“For now,” the woman supplied, warm smile on her face as she looked up at Dom. Brian couldn’t help the ache that rang through his chest at the sight, wondering what it felt like to actually belong in a family.

“Food will help that dizziness your feeling,” Mia continued, giving him a small smile, before making her way over to the fridge and pulling a plate out. Brian wasn’t sure how she had known that he was feeling dizzy, had been sure that he had managed to hide the wave of light headedness that had run through him.

“Better if you just tell her,” Dom murmured quietly, Brian looking up at the other man, and wondered if both Toretto’s had some kind of mind reading ability.

“And me,” Dom added, before walking out of the room. Brian couldn’t help but watch him go, blaming the injury for his ability not to drag his gaze away.

**

Mia had shown him to a room once he had finished the food she had put in front of him, telling him to rest and that she would check up on him through the night. But it wasn’t her that Brian woke up to, wasn’t her he found himself staring at, before he realised that he wasn’t dreaming.

Dom hadn’t said anything about it, had simply stared back, before walking out of the room.

The room turned out to be the one that the Toretto’s had prepared for him to stay in. Part of Brian couldn’t help but think that there was more to Dom’s story about why he was helping the cops, that there was something he was missing, but in the end it didn’t really matter. Dom and his team were helping him, weren’t going to turn him over, and that’s all he should care about.

He’d made his way downstairs that first morning, barely having enough time to grab breakfast before Dom had told him that he would be joining the team in the garage and they were leaving right then.

Which started the routine for Brian’s life over the next three weeks. Getting up, having breakfast while chatting with Mia, then going to the garage with Dom and the rest of the team until they were finished for the day, and then they would all make their way back to Dom’s, where they would all have dinner together.

Brian slowly started to get to know the rest of the team; Mia and he often chatted in the morning and at night, when Brian would do the dishes, refusing to let her cook and clean, and he discovered just how kind and caring she really was, always ready for a smile and words of wisdom.

Jesse was excitable and chatty, always grabbing him to show him the latest bit of tech that they could add to the cars, Brian asking him why someone with his powers and genius wasn’t in some college or high paying job. He had understood when Jesse had replied that working on the cars calmed him down, and he didn’t want to leave his family.

Leon had one of the quickest wits Brian had ever seen, they both enjoyed good naturedly ribbing the other whilst they were working on cars, and he was brilliant at picking up on details, the little things that could make a huge difference.

Vince was still as prickly and aggressive as when they first met, but seeing him interacting with the others, Brian could see that the other man cared more than anything about the team, and he could understand why he disliked Brian so much.

And then there was Dom, who Brian couldn’t help but notice, couldn’t help but like. The man who would do anything for his team, who would bend over backwards to ensure that they were happy and whole. The man who had taken him aside one week and shown him his Dad’s Charger, who smiled and stared at him for moments that were just a fraction too long, who Brian was starting to realise was deep under his skin, so deep that Brian might not be able to get him out.

Brian was starting to realise that he may be headed for a heart break that he could only blame on himself.

And he was starting to realise that he wouldn’t change a thing.

**

Brian may like Dom, may smile and share those looks, but it didn’t stop him from being angry at the man.

In the three weeks, they had only been to a race twice, Brian angrily informing Dom that he couldn’t do his job if he wasn’t out there and getting into the circles that he needed to get into. Dom had replied that Brian just needed to trust him, that the others had been discovered because they moved too fast.

The next day Dom had informed him that there was a race that night which might just get Brian what he wanted.

Which is how Brian found himself that night at a race that was far bigger, with more people and cars, than the last two combined.

Brian took in everyone around him, trying to remember as many faces and cars as he could. He had no plan in using the information or giving it to the feds, but it could be useful if he got pushed back to uniform once this case was all over. And something about Bilkin’s gave him the feeling that he probably would be.

There were more mutants here than Brian had seen in one place in a long time. Even if they hadn’t been illegally street racing, this would still be something that cops would break up, would find reasons to arrest people.

Brian couldn’t help but feel like he belonged when he looked around, couldn’t shake the sense that this was the right place for him, and so missed most of the conversation that was going on right beside him, the end of Vince’s sentence catching his attention and making him focus back at the group he was with.

“… mean you’re not racing?”

Brian turned at the words, looking back over at the crowd that surrounded Dom, unable to stop the way his heart sped up as their gazes met.

“Need to see if the new kid can hack it,” Dom replied, sending a smirk Brian’s way, before turning and answering the heated questions of his other team mates, mainly from Vince. Brian knew that Dom would never usually give up his spot, could tell that the other man was as competitive as they come, but clearly Dom was doing what had been asked of him, and was trying to get Brian noticed by those whose attention he was trying to get.

The arguing finished quickly, when Dom quietly said something to his team-mates. There hadn’t been much arguing from the side lines, the others who were set to race clearly thinking they had a better shot against Brian then they did against Dom.

The thought made Brian even more determined to win.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he got into his car, reaching out to start it, only to stop when a hand wrapped around his wrist.

“You got this, Bri.”

Dom’s quiet voice had Brian’s insides doing things that it shouldn’t have been doing, considering who Dom was, who Brian was, and that he was on a case. When Brian looked up, he was shocked to see the belief in Dom’s eyes, the small smile on his face. Dom really did believe Brian could win.

“After all,” he continued quietly, leaning into the car even more. “I’m not racing.”

Brian couldn’t help the chuckle that left him as Dom moved away, his body feeling lighter than air, as belief and determination ran through him. He was going to prove Dom right.

**

Grinning, Brian hopped out of the car, taking in the smiling faces around him, accepting the pats on the back, and other places, but all the while searching for a particular face. When he found Dom, the man simply nodded his head, lips quirked up in a grin.

“That was quite the race.”

Brian had turned to offer the man who had spoken the smile that he’d been giving everyone, but felt it falter a little when he saw who had actually spoken to him. Brian had known what the man looked like of course, had read his file, but, like Dom, it hadn’t really prepared him for what the man would look like in person.

Intense blue eyes were focused on his face, the tan, that was obviously fake, making the eyes even more potent. Verone was wearing a suit that was well cut, his hair slicked back, smug smile on his face as he let Brian take him in.

“Thanks,” Brian replied, letting the mask he’d perfected years ago fall into place, the easy, charming smile coming to his face.

“I haven’t seen you around here before,” Verone continued, and it was then that Brian noticed most of the crowd had backed off, groups still around them but talking between themselves.

“Just rolled into L.A recently,” Brian replied, running a hand through his curls, not missing the way Verone’s eyes flicked up to watch it.

“Brian Spilner,” he continued, holding his hand out to the other man. Verone smirked at him for a moment, before taking his hand, shaking it once. He kept a hold of Brian’s hand, fingers running back and forth over the soft skin of Brian’s wrist.

“Carter,” he replied, smirk widening like the cat that got the cream. “I’d be very interested in hearing more about how you came to be in L.A. and I might just have an offer that you’d be interested in.”

Before Brian could respond, a hand wrapped around his arm and tugged, the tug enough to have Verone drop Brian’s hand. It was a sign of possession, and Brian couldn’t help but clench his jaw. He had things under control, he could handle Verone, had handled guys like him in the past, and he didn’t need Toretto riding to his rescue.

“Toretto,” Verone said, tone polite, but Brian didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed when they flicked down to the hand Dom still had on Brian’s arm.

“Verone,” Dom replied, letting go of Brian’s arm when Brian pulled it out of the man’s grip. The move had Verone smirking again, looking off as he took a sip of a drink that had appeared from somewhere.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mister Spilner,” Verone said, eyes running over Brian once more, before he started to move off.

“I’m sure Mister Toretto will be glad to give you directions,” Verone called as he disappeared into the crowd.

“We’re going,” Dom growled, turning and stalking away. Brian was almost tempted not to follow, to simply turn back to the crowd that was creeping closer now that both Verone and Dom had moved away, but Dom was his cover, and he couldn’t afford to alienate them when the team already didn’t trust him.

Giving one last grin and wave, he hopped into the car, pulling away and quickly catching up with the Red Mazda RX. It wasn’t until they’d driven for longer than ten minutes that Brian realised they weren’t headed back to the house, that Dom was leading him along the ocean, the beach relaxing something in Brian, even if warning bells were going off.

Even with the warning bells, Brian new that Dom wouldn’t hurt him, if only to keep the cops off his and his family’s back, which is why he got out of the car when they stopped at a car park overlooking one of the beaches, the place deserted.

“What the hell was that, Brian?” Dom snapped, moving closer and crowding Brian against his car, grabbing his arm once again. Brian looked down at the hand for a long moment, before looking back into the almost black eyes staring at him.

“Let. Go,” he said, voice dangerously low, the fire flashing through him.

“No,” Dom growled back, gripping a little tighter.

Having enough, Brian let the fire loose from his control, letting it run down his arm. He’d expected Dom to jump back, even if it hadn’t been enough to burn him, but the other man didn’t even flinch. It took a few minutes for Brian to feel the cool rush up his arm, reminded of Dom’s own mutation.

“What the _hell_ was that, Brian?” Dom asked again, his body pushed up against Brian’s. If Brian hadn’t been so angry, he might have been having an issue with the other man’s close proximity, but as it was, all he could focus on was Dom trying to intimidate him. He’d been around people like that his entire life.

“I was doing my job!” Brian replied, pushing his hands hard against Dom’s chest, following when the other man moved back a step, getting in Dom’s face. “You know, the one where I get into Verone’s organisation, the one you are _meant_ to be helping me with.”

“You want to get out of my face, Spilner,” Dom warned, moving closer to Brian.

“Oh yeah, or what?” Brian asked, the two of them chest to chest now, breathing in each other’s breaths. Before he knew it, Brian was being pulled hard against the chest, his mouth being devoured. He could feel the cold creeping in, before his fire rose to the surface again, the result a comfortable temperature, and something like steam rising off them.

Dom continued to push against Brian, until the blonde’s back was against the car again, their bodies pushed hard against each other, Brian not able to ignore the hardness pushing against his hip. He couldn’t help but rock into the leg between his, letting a small groan leave him at the friction, the sound swallowed by Dom’s mouth.

Dom’s hand wound its way through his hair, the fingers gripping tightly and pulling. Brian let out a gasp as warm lips descended down his neck, small wet kisses trailing across his skin, before the mouth sucked hard on the junction where neck met collarbone.

They were both gasping, when Dom pulled his mouth away, resting his forehead against Brian’s shoulder.

“Verone’s dangerous.”

“I know,” Brian replied to the whisper against his neck. “My job is to put him away so he can’t hurt anyone else. We’ve been after him since he got here, Dom. We know about his business back in Miami. If we can get him for the robberies and the drugs, he’ll be going away for a long time.”

Dom pulled away at that, looking at Brian for a long time, before leaning forward and kissing Brian again. This time it was soft and slow, the desperation and anger gone from it, leaving the warm, chaste movement of their lips, the two of them pulling away reluctantly, staring at each other in silence before Dom spoke.

“We should go, Mia will be wondering where we are.”

Brian nodded, running a hand through his hair to smooth some of the messiness that Dom’s fingers had caused, as Dom stalked over to his car, looking back at Brian for a moment before getting in.

As Brian got into his car and followed Dom, he wondered once again if there was more to Dom’s help than the LAPD and FBI knew, the way the other man had reacted at Brian simply talking to Verone raising red flags.

Brian thought about what else could’ve happened to Team Toretto to get them to help.

**

The next day, Dom drove the both of them to Verone’s, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white. He hadn’t said anything to Brian that morning, had barely spoken to Mia, but Brian couldn’t focus on that right now, no matter how much his heart was telling him to talk to the man next to him.

He had to focus on his job. Had to get Verone to let him into his circle.

Pulling up to a set of gates, it wasn’t long after they’d pushed the intercom button that they were parking and being led into an extravagant office, Verone coming around his desk to meet them.

“Brian,” he practically purred, and in a different situation, with Brian not knowing who and what the man was, or if he had gone down that other route his life had been taking, he might have found himself responding to the voice.

As it was, he simply gave the man his charming smile, allowing the lingering handshake, before pulling his hand back.

“Toretto, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Verone continued, the men’s eyes meeting and holding, Brian only just resisting rolling his own. It was as if the two men forgot that he wasn’t some damsel in distress, forgot that he was someone who could kick both their asses with the power that thrummed under his skin.

“Not with the way you’ve refused all my invitations previously. In fact I’ve always had the impression that your little band of … family were off limits these days.”

There was something about the way Verone had paused that had Brian wondering if the other man had been about to say something. Something about the way he was looking at Dom and Brian that made him wonder if Verone knew more about them than they realised.

Dom simply raised an eyebrow at the other man, before taking a seat. Brian snorted softly to himself, shaking his head as he took the other seat across from Verone’s desk. Verone walked around to sit behind his desk, brushing against Brian’s legs as he did, Brian not missing the way Dom’s hands curled into fists on his thighs.

“Figured it was time to see exactly what it is you’re offering,” Dom finally replied, once Verone was sitting in his seat. Verone smirked back at him, their gaze holding for a long time again, before his blue eyes moved to Brian, flicking over him quickly.

“I’ve lost a couple of drivers recently,” Verone started, leaning back in his chair, fingers caressing the leather of his chair, Brian watching it for a moment, before forcing him to look up at Verone’s face, watching as the smirk widened.

“And I’m in need of someone to transport some high end stock across the border.”

“Sounds like you need some officials to help with that,” Dom replied, playing dumb. Brian knew the other man had some idea what Verone was up to. “We can get it to and from the border quickly. But the crossing is always going to be the issue and I don’t really fancy spending any more of my life in a jail cell to try and get some of your merchandise across the border.”

“If you accept the job, that won’t be an issue,” Verone answered, leaning forward. “And it will benefit you very well financially.”

“And when would this job start?” Dom asked, leaning back in his chair, eyes not leaving the man in front of them. Brian wished he was a little closer to Dom so that he could nudge or kick the other man, to remind him that they needed this in into Verone’s organisation. And from what Verone was saying they were going to be in the heart of where Brian needed to be.

If Verone didn’t back out, he’d have all the faces, tunnels and information they would need to bring Verone and his associates down.

“Well, that depends … are you in?”

Brian let a small smile spread across his face, letting his eyes become a little more hooded when he looked at Verone. If Dom was going to sabotage this meeting, Brian was going to do his best to make sure it went the way they needed, even if that meant leading Verone on a bit.

“Count me in,” Brian said, spreading his legs a little more in his chair. “Driving and earning money for it? What’s to think about?”

Verone’s smile turned shark like, Brian smiling back at him, even though his fingers burned with the need to wipe the smile off the man’s face. There was just something about Verone that put Brian on edge, made him want to strike out before the man could strike back at him.

“Toretto?” Verone asked, staring at Brian a moment longer, before turning his gaze on Dom.

“Yeah, I’m in,” Dom replied, his tone low and dangerous, warmth rushing through Brian at the quality of the voice, wondering if that was how Dom sounded in bed.

“Fantastic!” Verone exclaimed, looking between the two of them, before standing up and making his way around the desk. “One of my guys is throwing a party tonight. I’ll expect to see you there.”

“What about the deal?” Dom asked.

“You’ll learn more tonight,” Verone replied, fingers trailing across Brian’s shoulder, before he left. Before either of them could move, another man came in, he was Latin, shorter than either Dom or Brian, but something about him making him seem bigger than he was. Brian thought it might be the dangerous vibe the man seemed to give off.

“Gentleman,” he said, moving further into the room. “Raymon Campos. The boss says you’ll be joining the party tonight?”

**

Looking at himself in the mirror, Brian straightened the collar of his blue shirt, taking a deep calming breath, before leaving the room and making his way downstairs.

Dom hadn’t said much as they’d driven home from Verone’s, although this time it seemed to be because he was deep in thought, rather than angry at Brian for going against his wishes. He’d gone out back as soon as they’d gotten home, Brian watching him through the kitchen window as he made his way into the small shed that housed the garage.

“Everything okay?” Mia had asked, looking at him with worried eyes. Brian had smiled and told her that they were getting further along in the investigation and that they had been invited to a party that would help them even further.

She’d given him a weak smile, worried eyes moving to the window. And Brian couldn’t help that there was something more here that he was missing, that there was more to Team Toretto helping them than just Dom’s record or their mutations.

The thoughts of earlier today were wiped from Brian’s mind as he took in the black collared shirt Dom had on, the sleeves rolled up and showing off his tan skin, the dark jeans he was wearing completing the smart casual outfit the other man had on.

“Well don’t you two just look spiffy,” Mia said, coming into the room and giving them a real smile. “I almost feel like I’m sending you off to prom. Except … you know, a dressed down, dangerous, prom.”

The smile on her face wavered a little, and Brian would’ve moved to hug her if Dom hadn’t already done so.

“We’ll be fine, bella,” he heard the man whisper, placing a gentle kiss against her hair, before his eyes met Brian’s.

There was something about their interaction, the worry on Mia’s face, that brought up the feeling again that there was something more to the team agreeing to let Brian come into their home. Something that the cops hadn’t picked up on.

“Let’s go.”

Brian followed Dom out of the car, pulling his keys out of his pocket, only to stop when a large hand wrapped around his wrist.

“We’ll take my car,” Dom said gruffly, releasing Brian’s wrist and stalking over to his car. Brian considered arguing with the man for a second, before deciding that it wouldn’t hurt to give Dom this one.

Sliding into the car, he only just stopped the smile from coming to his face at Dom’s surprised look. The other man had clearly expected a fight, and Brian loved not fitting to people’s expectations of him, keeping people on their toes.

They made the ride to the party in silence, Brian letting himself relax into the seat, reminding himself that he had a job to do, and at the end of the day, he wasn’t a member of Dom’s team, wasn’t a part of his little family.

Even if every part of him seemed to want to be.

Campos had given them directions before they had left Verone’s house the night before and it didn’t take them long to pull up outside the club. They made their way into the club together, their shoulders brushing slightly.

Campos appeared in front of them almost as soon as they walked in, big smile on his face, as he wrapped his arms around both their shoulders.

“Ah, my hermanos, I see you found the place!”

He led them over to two couches that suddenly became free, sitting down and indicating for them to follow. Two beers, coronas of course, appeared in front of them, and Brian let himself take a long swallow, leaning back into the surprisingly comfortable couch.

“So, Toretto, what finally made you come around to the offer?” he asked, leaning back, small smile on his face. “I thought after the last time … well, let’s just say I was surprised to see you sign up.”

“Could use the extra cash,” Dom replied, rolling the bottle of corona in his hands. “And I was never one to ignore a challenge after a certain point.”

Campos snorted, nodding his head, before his eyes turned to Brian.

“And your new _mechanic_ , he asked to be in on the challenge?”

“That was your boss’s decision,” Dom replied, and Brian could hear the undercurrent of steel in his tone, clear to anyone who was listening that he would rather Brian wasn’t there.

“Verone doesn’t always think things through,” Campos answered, eyes straying over their shoulders. “Which is why we have Fenix to make sure the drivers to disappoint.”

Brian watched as an African American man with a slight Mohawk stalked around to stand next to Campos, his eyes flicking over Brian before focusing on Dom. His mouth curled up at the edges, Brian able to see the smugness on his face.

Looking over at Dom, Brian saw the way he clenched his jaw, his eyes glaring at Fenix, as if he wanted to kill the man with just a look.

“Now, Toretto, there’s something I would like your opinion on downstairs, a beautiful lady that I think needs an expert touch.”

Dom raised an eyebrow, finishing the rest of his drink before standing, Brian putting his own drink down on the table before following, only to stop when a big hand fell on his shoulder.

“Verone wants a word with you,” Fenix said, Brian looking over as Dom disappeared with Campos, before shrugging and following Fenix. His job was to get close to Verone, to learn everything he needed so he could bring the man down.

**

“Drink?” Verone asked, holding up a tumbler of what Brian assumed was scotch. The sounds of the party outside in the club were muted in the room, and Brian could almost imagine that there weren’t a large number of people outside.

“Why not?” Brian replied, smiling, as he sat down on the couch.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever really met someone like you before, Mister Spilner.”

Brian couldn’t help but snort at Verone’s comment, raising an eyebrow at the man as he handed Brian his drink, their fingers brushing, before he sat down on the other end of the couch.

“Nice line,” Brian said, sending his charming smile Verone’s way. Verone might make his skin crawl a little, might make Brian want to punch him, but Brian was good at going undercover, had had to learn at an early age how to put on a false mask. “Does it ever work?”

“Is it working now?” Verone replied, arm reaching out along the back of the couch, Brian squashing the urge to reach back and crush the fingers playing with his hair.

“It takes more than a pretty line and a nice drink for me to be interested I’m afraid.”

“Well, with your mutation, you have to be careful, I’m sure.” Brian froze as Verone’s words flowed over him, his hand frozen just in front of his face where he had been lifting the glass to take a sip. There was no way Verone could know about his mutation, not without knowing who Brian was.

“You’re not the only mutant in LA, Brian,” Verone continued, Brian watching him as he slid a little closer on the couch, not quite sure where the other man was going with this. His heart was racing as he stared at the other man, trying to read the man’s face, to see if he was in danger, whether he needed to used his mutation.

“Mine isn’t as flashy as yours, but it is very useful.”

“Oh?” Brian asked, taking a large drink, letting the burn down his throat calm his racing heart and thoughts.

“You see,” Verone started, hand reaching out and resting on Brian’s knee. “I can sense other mutants, and their powers, their level so to speak.”

“Oh?” Brian repeated, raising a questioning eyebrow, gently removing the hand from his knee.

“It suits you,” he continued, ignoring Brian removing his hand, sliding even closer, body pressed against Brian’s. “Fire. Burning passion just below the surface.”

“Is that right?” Brian asked, slightly impressed that Verone had picked his power.

“What exactly are you doing with Toretto, Brian?”

Now that was a loaded question and Brian had to look away, his thoughts whirling. Toretto was meant to be a means to an end, his way in, and that was it. At the end of the day, Toretto was still a criminal, and Brian was still a cop.

“You don’t know, do you?” Verone continued, leaning closer, fingers running along Brian’s neck.

Brian was moving before he even realised it, standing up and moving away from the couch. He gulped down the scotch in his glass, wincing at the burn and the fact that you didn’t do that to a scotch as good as the one he had been given.

“Thanks for the drink,” he rasped out, putting the glass down on a table and moving towards the door.

“Take the package on the table, Brian.”

Brian froze with his hand on the door, taking a deep breath before he turned and looked at the package.

“It has a phone and a GPS system you’ll need to conduct our business arrangement,” Verone continued, taking a sip of his scotch, smug smirk on his face. Brian stared at him a moment longer, before stalking over to the desk, picking the package up and making his way out of the room.

He wound his way through the club, trying to calm himself down. He’d been trained for undercover, had known that he’d have to put up with people like Verone, have to deal with them entering his personal space and act like it didn’t bother him, like he liked it. He’d been prepared for that.

He hadn’t been prepared for Dom though. And meeting Dom had thrown all his training out the window.

“Spilner?”

Brian ignored the voice, pushing through the crowd and out the side entrance, resting his head against the cool wall opposite the door, and taking deep breaths of the cool night air. He wasn’t surprised when a large hand gently gripped his neck, a warm body standing next to him as the hand slowly massaged the tension away.

“This ain’t gonna work if you don’t talk to me, Bri.”

Brian couldn’t help but snort at the comment. Dom had barely said two words to him all day, and now he was chiding Brian for not talking to him.

“It’s nothing,” he finally said, straightening and turning to face the man.

Dom stared at him for a long moment, eyes searching for something, before flicking down to the package in Brian’s hands.

“To help us ‘conduct’ our business arrangement,” Brian replied, handing Dom the package, before turning and walking down the alley. He wasn’t surprised to see Dom had opened the package, two cell phones and two GPS systems in the opened box, just like Verone had said, when they both slipped into the car.

“You know you don’t have to do this right?” Dom finally asked, gripping the steering wheel, before turning and looking at Brian. “I can get the names, the faces.”

“This is my job,” Brian replied.

**

It wasn’t until three days later that the cell phones went off. Brian and Dom had been working with the rest of the team in the garage when it happened, the two of them freezing, before moving quickly.

“This it then?” Vince asked gruffly, Brian not missing the way his eyes went to Dom, or the way Dom gave a small nod back.

Before this was all over, he was going to find out what exactly was going on, what the FBI and police had missed in relation to the Toretto Team and their involvement with Verone and his organisation. But, now wasn’t the time to get those answers, Brian meeting Dom’s eyes as they both slid into their cars, knowing that now was to do what Brian was undercover to do.

They both followed the directions that the GPS showed them, Brian following Dom’s Mazda, to a warehouse, where they were met by three other drivers, and then were, cars and all, moved onto a truck, the roller door being pulled down as the truck started to move.

Getting out of his car, Brian saw Dom mimicking him, the big man looking around the inside of the truck, before raising an eyebrow at Brian, the look causing irritation to run through the cop, although he wasn’t sure exactly why.

“This was your bright idea, Bri.”

Before he knew it, Brian had Dom pushed up against the wall of the truck, the cars giving them some privacy from the other drivers who were hanging around near the back of the truck. The irritation at Dom for holding back from him, the something that Brian knew was there, plus the fact that the other man was making things more difficult than they should be, had the usually cool mutant snapping.

“This is my job,” Brian whispered harshly into Dom’s ear, ignoring the shiver that he could feel through the body so close to his. “This is exactly what I need. Faces, information, where their tunnels are. This is my job, _Dominic_.”

Pulling back, Brian looked into Dom’s eyes, not missing the way the other man’s pupils were dilated, nor the way his hands had iced up, fists clenched, as if he was holding himself back from grabbing Brian.

“And I never asked you to come,” Brian muttered, running a hand through his hair, almost letting out a yell when Dom reached out and grabbed the hand, the ice on his hand melting when it gripped Brian’s skin.

“I wasn’t about to lose another member of my team,” Dom muttered, staring at where he was holding onto Brian, frown creasing his brow. Brian couldn’t help but stare at the man’s face, watching as emotions flickered over Dom’s face, his strong jaw clenched, as if he was only just holding back the pain that Brian could see on the man’s face now.

Brian knew he was in trouble now, knew that he was in too deep. He’d barely known the man for more than a few weeks, but he felt like he’d known him for a lifetime, felt like he knew him better than anyone else.

“Wait,” Brian said quietly, as Dom’s sentence caught up with him. “What do you mean another?”

There had been nothing in the file that mentioned a team member of Dom’s being involved with Verone, or that the team had recently lost some one. The pieces that Brian had been collecting, the feeling that there was more, Vince’s comment before they left, all started to come together.

Before Dom could open his mouth, the truck stopped, Brian stumbling into Dom, their eyes meeting briefly, before Brian stepped away, the two of them making their way towards the back of the truck.

“Alright, hermanos,” Campos said, as the doors at the back of the truck went up, three men by his side.

“You’ll be following Fenix today,” he continued, pointing to the big man standing next to him. “Stay as close to him as possible when you’re going through the tunnels. He’ll take you to the drop point, you’ll make the exchange, and follow him back through the tunnels to the drop point. Easy in, easy out.”

Brian gave a small nod, starting to turn back towards the truck, but slowing a little when he saw the intense look on Dom’s face. He was looking at the three men, but his eyes seemed to stray back to Fenix.

“Dom?” he asked quietly, watching as the big man tore his eyes away from Fenix and back to him. Dom gave him a short shake of his head, and Brian couldn’t help but feel that this had something to do with the reason Dom had actually agreed to help the police.

“Let’s go,” Dom muttered, turning and making his way back to his car. Brian watched him go, before turning his head back to Fenix, frowning when he saw the smirk on the man’s face.

Climbing into his car, Brian hoped that whatever was going on between the two men wouldn’t stop him from finishing his investigation, or end with people getting hurt.

**

Things seemed to move quickly after that, Brian unable to stop the rush that ran through him as he drove, following behind Dom, as they both followed behind Fenix to get across the border before they were found out.

Dom couldn’t stick to the plan though, pulling out and overtaking Fenix, Brian swearing under his breath at the move. Of course Dom couldn’t let the other man lead, of course he couldn’t stick to the plan, which was to gather enough information to shut Verone and his cronies down.

It wasn’t until they were pulling up to an abandoned car park, the drivers all getting out, that Brian sensed the tension that had been building between Fenix and Dom reach breaking point, the two glaring at each other, as the men around them were loading the merchandise into a truck.

Brian frowned, looking between the two men, trying to figure out what exactly was going on between the two as they stared each other down. In that moment, he wished that his power was telepathy, so that he could hear what they were both thinking, and then remind Dom how close they were to bringing Verone down, all they needed was to get back to L.A and Brian could hand the information over to Tanner.

“You know I was the one that killed her.”

Brian froze, eyes snapping to Fenix, seeing the smug amusement on the man’s face, before they moved over to Dom. Dom had gone completely still, his muscles bunched, a look of such anger and rage on his face, that Brian finally saw how the man had lost control all those years ago.

It also started putting more pieces to the puzzle that was Dom’s mysterious statement back in the truck.

“She was trying to run, and we couldn’t have that,” Felix said, stalking towards Dom. “Apparently she was having second thoughts, wanted to come home to the _team_ , threatened to go to the cops if we didn’t let her.”

Brian could see the way Dom’s hands were curled into fists, and even with the minimal light, he could see they were starting to ice over. He slowly started to move towards the other man, no one focused on what he was doing, to busy watching Dom and Felix.

“See the thing is, the boss isn’t as keen to have you on the team as he used to be,” Fenix continued, Brian freezing when his dark eyes moved onto him. “In fact, he mentioned if there was an accident, well, he wouldn’t mind.”

Brian felt Dom’s eyes move to his, Brian knowing in that moment, that they would have to do something and do something now. Brian gave a short nod, already calling the fire to the surface, knowing that people, even criminals, tended to panic when things exploded.

They moved at the same time, Dom using his ice to knock Fenix down, while Brian let a burst of fire go at the cars, grinning when they exploded and most of the men went down. He only had a second to watch the fire engulf the cars, before there was a hand on his arm, dragging him towards the car, the sound of a gun going off as they clambered into the car.

It wasn’t until they were well away from the scene, that Brian realised that they hadn’t gotten away without any problems, Dom’s low groan drawing his eyes.

“Dom?”

“It’s nothing, keep driving,” Dom replied gruffly, wincing as he shifted in the seat, hand clutching his stomach.

“Dominic,” Brian answered, gripping the wheel hard, unable to stop looking over at the bald man.

“It’s nothing.”

‘Nothing’ to Dom, turned out to be a gun shot wound to the stomach, the gruff man unable to hide it when they stopped at the small unit the LAPD and FBI had set up for him just in case. The other man had refused to let Brian take him to the hospital, telling the blonde to call Mia instead.

**

“Dom!”

Brian let Mia run into the room, watching as she knelt by the bed, her hands fluttering over Dom, clearly not sure what to do next.

“I wanted to take him to the hospital,” Brian muttered. “But he told me to call you. Mia-”

“No, he was right,” Mia said, cutting him off, giving him a small smile. Brian could see the worry and concern on her face as she looked at him, although he had no idea exactly what the look meant. “Brian, could you bring in that pot plant from outside please?”

Frowning, Brian nodded, wondering if Mia was planning to do something when he left the room, before he reminded himself that this was Dom’s _sister_. Moving quickly he grabbed the pot plant and brought it into the room.

“Bella.”

Dom’s quiet voice had them both turning to look at the man. Brian couldn’t help but step closer, his stomach clenching as he looked at the paleness of the man’s skin, the blood that seemed to be everywhere, the bandage Brian had used already soaked through.

“Its okay, Dom, I’ll fix it,” Mia whispered, gripping her brother’s hand, before undoing the bandage that was trying to stop the flow of blood from the bullet wound. Dom’s unfocused gaze seemed to find him, Brian not missing the worry that passed through the man’s eyes, worry that was not for him or Brian.

It was in that moment, that Brian started to suspect that the file the FBI had was right, that Mia really did have some kind of mutation, but the thought didn’t prepare him for what he saw. With one hand, Mia gripped the plant, the other pushing into the wound on Dom, Brian curling his hands into fists to stop himself from throwing her hand off when Dom gave a low groan.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but slowly, Brian saw that the plant was slowly dying, unable to stop himself from moving forward and picking up a leaf that had fallen dead to the ground. Looking over at Mia, he saw her face scrunched up in concentration, Brian watching her for a moment, before following the soft line of her arm, unable to stop the gasp as he saw the wound knitting itself back together.

The sound had her opening her eyes, staring at Brian with both worry and determination, even as Dom’s wound continued to knit together. Tearing his eyes away, he looked up at Dom, the man asleep, the pain that had been written clear across his face now relaxed in a restful sleep.

“He’s always tried to protect me, you know?” Mia started quietly, pulling her hands away and resting them on the bed. “If the government knew about me …”

“I would never tell them, Mia,” he murmured, reaching out and gripping her shoulder. “I promise.”

“I know,” she answered, reaching up and squeezing his hand. “Dom doesn’t give his trust easily, but he trusted you almost from the beginning. Which is saying a lot considering your occupation.”

“Who was she, Mia? The one he couldn’t protect.”

She stared at him for a long moment, before sighing and standing up.

“Do you have somewhere I can clean up?” she asked.

“Mia,” he started, about to tell her that he wasn’t about to be put off, only to be interrupted.

“I’ll tell you, Brian, but I’d prefer to wash my brother’s blood off my hand if you don’t mind.”

He showed her to the bathroom, leaning on the door jamb as he watched her clean her hands.

“Her name was Letty,” she started quietly. “She grew up on the same street as us, had had a crush on Dom for as long as I can remember. Dom didn’t really notice her, not until she was sixteen, seventeen, then they were always together.”

“He loved her?”

“Yeah, they were volatile though, you know? Too much alike not to combust at times,” she answered, fond smile on her face. “I think Letty took the job at first because she wanted the thrill. Her and Dom were always chasing the thrill, plus the money didn’t hurt and the fact that Dom had pretty much told her not to.”

“We’re not quite sure what happened,” Mia continued, the smile falling from her face, tears pooling in her eyes. “One day her mother came to the house, said that a cop had been there … We’d known where she’d been, but … well, I’m sure you can imagine what would’ve happened if we’d gone to the cops with what we know.”

“That’s why Dom agreed to let me into the team?” Brian asked, even though he knew without a doubt now that it was.

“He wanted to do things the right way this time,” she answered. “I asked him to do it the right way. I can’t lose another member of my family, Brian. I just can’t.”

“You won’t, Mia, not if I can help it,” Brian replied, pulling her into a hug, kissing her temple. “I’m going to put these guys away for a long time”

**

Brian waited until Mia was sleeping next to Dom, before pulling his cell phone out, dialling a number that Campos had given him the night before.

“Hello?”

“Lose something today, Mister Verone?”

“I’m disappointed, Brian,” Verone replied, his voice cool, Brian trying not to shiver as the voice rushed over him.

“You tried to kill Dom,” Brian answered, gripping the phone hard, as the thought of Dom dying ran through his mind, his stomach feeling sick at the idea.

“Oh, only a little,” Verone said, and Brian could hear the grin in his voice. “Is that why you’re calling, Brian, to tell me you’re upset?”

“I have the car with the drugs you wanted us to bring back from Mexico.”

The comment was met with silence, Brian letting himself watch Dom sleeping on the bed, watching the rise and fall of the other man’s chest, still not quite able to believe what Mia could do.

“Do you now?”

“If you want to see it again, you will come, alone, with fifty million, and we will do an exchange,” Brian replied.

“Will I?” Verone answered.

“Or I could just hand it over to the authorities.”

“Maybe I’ll just come and take it from you,” Verone snarled, the polite, charming tone completely gone.

“If you kill us, you’ll never find it,” Brian replied. “And we will have friends there that will know if you come with company, Verone. Ten, at Waverly place.”

Brian hung up before Verone could reply, already knowing the man would come, especially when they were asking for less than what the heroin was actually worth. Pushing the phone against his forehead, Brian took a deep breath, reminding himself that this would be the end of it. This would be enough to arrest Verone for, and then the evidence Brian and Dom had collected would be enough to keep him in jail for a long time.

“You know he’s going to bring people, right?”

Dom’s voice had him jumping a little, head snapping to the door way where the man stood.

“You should be in bed,” Brian said.

“I’m probably in better health than you at the moment, Spilner,” the other man replied, walking into the room.

“Right, remind me again which one of us got shot in the last twenty four hours?”

“You’re not going alone,” Dom replied, crossing his arms and glaring.

“He’ll run if he senses other mutants there,” Brian answered, standing and moving over towards the man. “We’ve got enough to bring him in, there will be cameras and the cops will be standing by. This is what we need to bring him down and I can’t chance him making a run for it before we’ve got him.”

Dom nodded, leaning back against the wall, and Brian was almost convinced that the man was agreeing with him, right up until the bald man opened his mouth.

“I’m still going with you.”

“Damn it, Toretto,” Brian started, taking a step forward, not seeing the hand that snapped out to pull him closer, the words he had been about to say lost as lips crashed against his.

“I’m coming,” Dom murmured against his lips, before pushing off the wall and walking away.

“Shit,” Brian muttered, running a hand over his head.

**

Brian should’ve known that things wouldn’t go the way he had planned, because things never really seemed to go the way he planned. He had planned for Verone not to come alone, had prepared for the fact that they would most likely be mutants.

What he hadn’t prepared for was that one of them would be a teleporter, who would grab him just after their exchange, Dom holding the money, their eyes meeting for a split second just before Brian felt himself shift away, teleported to what looked like the warehouse they had been standing by. Looking around the empty room, he spotted the door, quickly pushing himself up to stand, only to feel himself freeze.

Every part of him locked up, stuck in the moment of him trying to stand up, as he stared up at where Verone had suddenly appeared. The other man had an ugly smirk on his face, as he leaned down, Brian realising that no matter how hard tried he was literally unable to move any part of his body save for his eyes.

“I’m telekinetic, Bri,” Verone murmured, cupping Brian’s cheek, his thumb running over his cheekbone. “I can move things with my mind. I can also stop them. Comes in handy, having people completely at your mercy, literally frozen, unable to move, unable to call out for help, just watching me as I do what I want. It’s not something I tell most people, they seem happy when I tell them about my sensing ability. This one I leave to surprise them with.”

Brian tried with everything he had to move, closing his eyes as Verone’s mouth covered his, the man exploring Brian’s mouth, before nipping his bottom lip.

“Whatever I want.”

Brian knew what was coming, saw it in Verone’s eyes even before the man lashed out, punching him across the face, before standing up and kicking him in the chest and stomach, Brian’s position perfect for him to inflict damage all over.

When he collapsed to the floor, it took Brian a moment to realise that his body was his own again, and without even needing to reach, he turned and let his fire flow from him, before scrambling to his feet and running towards the exit, knowing he needed to reach it.

Just as his hand wrapped around the handle, his muscles locked up again. Brian tried to wrench his hand free even though he knew it was useless, glaring at his hand when it stayed in the exact same position.

“Now that wasn’t very _nice_ , Brian,” Verone whispered into his ear, Brian trying to ignore the way Verone was plastered against his back, his hands running up and down his chest, mouth hot against his ear.

Closing his eyes, one of the only things he could control, he tried to focus on his fire, surprised when he could feel it still flowing beneath his skin. Verone was telekinetic, not telepathic, which meant that while he could hold Brian with his mind, he couldn’t stop Brian’s power.

“If you’re good, I’ll make sure you boyfriend doesn’t suffer,” Verone continued, kissing down the side of his neck, Brian’s skin crawling at the action. “Too much.”

That was all he needed, the extra incentive to reach and then push his fire out, almost not believing it when his hand gripped the door handle again. He didn’t open it though, turning around to see Verone standing up, his clothes smoldering a little.

“That wasn’t nice, Bri,” Verone repeated, eyes flashing with rage.

“Can’t control everything, Carter,” Brian replied, letting the flames lick up his arms. He wasn’t prepared for the metal container that collided into him, the breath knocked out of his lungs, warmth running down his face from where the box had clipped his temple.

“Oh, you have no idea.”

Brian only had a few seconds before the other man was on him, the punches falling all over him, his body once again frozen in place. He tried to focus on the fire, but his mind was too foggy, blackness creeping along the peripheries of his thoughts and vision.

“It could’ve ended so different, Bri,” Verone murmured. “You should’ve played along, I wouldn’t have had to freeze you, wouldn’t have had to do this.”

Pain radiated through his head, from where Verone had slammed his head into the ground, the fogginess now making way for the darkness, which seemed to be crowding his vision and his thoughts, everything fading away.

The last thing Brian heard before the darkness came was a gruff voice.

“That’s being frozen, asshole.”

**

**EPILOGUE**

Brian wasn’t surprised when he woke up in the hospital, after the kind of beating he’d taken from Verone, he was just happy that he _had_ woken up. It was times like these, that he could see how people would be scared of mutants. People like Verone were the reason that people wanted to bring in the mutant act.

“Glad to see you’re finally awake, O’Connor.”

Turning his head slightly, Brian could see the relieved smile on Tanner’s face, the older man dragging a chair over and sitting by his bed.

“Did we-”

“Verone’s looking at a hefty jail sentence just from the bust alone,” Tanner cut in, holding up a glass of water with a straw to Brian’s lips, taking it away once Brian had let the water sooth his raw throat. “Add in the information you’ve collected and the statements we’re collecting, and he’s looking at a long time behind bars. And the judge on his case I know for a fact can’t be bought.”

Brian let his head fall back against the pillow, small smile of satisfaction on his face as he closed his eyes.

“Torreto?”

The silence after his question went for longer than it should’ve, Brian opened his eyes and looked over at the man that was his mentor, able to read the guilt and shame on the man’s face.

“And what happened with Torreto?” Brian asked, sitting up and leaning forwards, even though his body was crying out at him to lie back down. “The guy who helped us put this asshole in jail?”

“Torreto almost killed Verone with that little act of his,” Tanner replied, running a hand down his face. “If we hadn’t of had a mutant who could reverse effects immediately, this all would’ve been for nothing.”

“Where is he?”

“Bilkin’s has him under arrest, he’s awaiting trial.”

“This isn’t because of what he did,” Brian spat. “This is because he’s a mutant.”

“Brian,” Tanner started.

“No, Tanner, this is bullshit!”

“He’s unfortunately got a point,” Tanner replied, heat in his voice. “If he didn’t I would’ve got Torreto out myself.”

“So now he’s going to do time for helping us?” Brian asked. “For stopping Verone from hurting, from killing me?”

“Brian-” Tanner started, falling silent when Brian held up a hand.

“How long will he get?”

The silence that followed the question gave Brian a good idea of how long even before Tanner opened his mouth.

“Bilkins is going to ask for the maximum sentence.”

Brian closed his eyes, knowing that with everything against Dom, Bilkins asking for the maximum sentence would mean Dom wouldn’t stand a chance.

Closing his eyes, Brian knew that he couldn’t just let it go, knew that he couldn’t leave Dom to a prison sentence that he didn’t deserve.

**

Grinning, Brian watched as Mia’s car shot past, the team working in tandem to pull off the plan that Brian had come up with. It was like watching a beautiful dance come to life, everyone doing and being exactly where they needed to be and before he knew it, Dom was standing there eyes raking over Brian and the car.

“Need a ride?” Brian asked, grin crossing his face at the heated look that crossed over the man’s face, before he got into the car.

“I’m going to take you up on that, Bri,” Dom said, warm hand landing on Brian’s thigh, squeezing.

Brian laughed as his foot pressed down, the two of them heading down the quarter mile.

**END**


End file.
